As Magic had Kareem, Gretzky had Kurri (and Messier), Lemieux had Jagr, Mike Richards is Butch Cassidy to Simon Gagne’s Sundance Kid. They were made for each other.

I have looked forward to these two playing together since Gagne’s signing. I am not even annoyed Justin Williams is not playing right wing. It takes Terry Murray longer, but he may eventually get there.

Despite Murray’s denial to Hammond, this is a measuring stick game. San Jose, Chicago, Detroit and Vancouver are always measuring stick games as to where the Kings are and to where they are going. We lost to the Sharks 4-2, Canucks 3-2, Red Wings 4-1 and Blackhawks 2-1.

Measuring stick? Yeah. We have been weighed, measured and left wanting. Want to contend? Then, we have to go through these guys to get there. If our coach doesn’t want to admit that, you and I need to so we don’t lie to ourselves about where this team currently is and is headed.

It’s round 2 verses San Jose.

Hey, did you hear there have now been three coaches fired? In addition to the Blues’ firing of Davis Payne, Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice were canned today. The Washington Capitals have pretty high expectations of their franchise. President’s Trophies and early playoff exits are not enough to keep their coach.

There is a lot to discuss. The line combinations, Hunter on the 1st, Butch and Sundance, Lokti at center, can we score more than 2, how many Sharks fans will Surly & I annoy, but this is your forum. What are your keys to the game? Do you consider this a measuring stick match? Do you expect Butch & Sundance to put wide smiles on our collective faces? Any predictions of the final score? This post will be up throughout the game for your comments. Have at it.

35 replies

I feel bad about saying it, but I fear this will be a Kings rebound on what would otherwise be a management at their breaking point for a loss game. In other words, TM squeaks by enough to keep everyone satisfied but no real necessary change that will get us to playoff finals happens.

Yes, the players and fans need it and I would be much happier sitting down to watch a win, but I think I’d rather suffer some short term disappointment if it meant real change and improvement in the long run (read: new coach).

When the coach says San Jose is not a measuring stick game, it comes across as a vote of zero confidence in himself. Any game against San Jose is a measuring stick game. Because they are one of our 2 closest divisional rivals, because they’ve won said division (and conference) several times, because they are Lombardi’s former team, because they are still closer to contending for the Cup than the Kings are. He doesn’t want anyone measuring the team in this game because he’s anticipating losing, maybe even resigned to it.

Then he turns around and says, “The players are going to show us an answer, one way or the other here.’’ Sounds like he himself is using this game as a measuring stick. Maybe it’s just me, but I read that as “this is the last trick I have up my sleeve, either they’re gonna get it done, or I can see how this is gonna end.”

I think this is game that is a measuring stick and the mixup of lines might be a wake up call to the players. Esp. in lieu of 2 NHL coaches getting fired today. They read the articles on the internet, they know that some fans are calling for TM’s head. A convincing win here might be enough for some of the players, Like Williams, 1 goal in 18 games, or Brown to get their mojo back.
I think they also recognize that losing points in divisional games esp, hurts come drive time in late spring. If the divisoin and conference stay as close as it is now, they need to start cashing in on games like these.
Butch and Sundance will be blazing around the ice tonight and shooting bullets, making that goal light go on. Richards has a knack of finding Gagne like magnet to metal and I do think Gags will have a big night. They’ve beern separted too long, time to get back in the saddle.

Brown is better on the left side…he may have to adjust in the defensive zone, breaking out…but he has proven that his attack from the left side allows him more options to use his skill, and shot.
I love this move…it goes against Terry Murray’s thinking completely ( Left side / Left shot…forehand on the boards )
Maybe our Captain will show the old dog some new tricks…even though they’re his old tricks we never get to see.
This SHOULD get Brown going, back with Kopi adds to it
Maybe Penner returns Thursday on the Right wing…forehand towards the net…could save Murray’s JOB

Terry Murray is Terry Murray and with more than 2 goals production finally, the NEW defensive pairings, as well as the normal foot off the gas 3rd period mentality…give San Jose the room they need to get the go ahead goal and an empty netter to boot…so where do I collect my prize?

No comment on tonights game, but I just realized that after scoring 209 goals last year, the team is on pace for roughly 200 this year if they carry on as they have been. That is indeed worrying. I knew it wasn’t good but didn’t realize the severity.
Wow, that really does need to change or they will be in deep trouble.

Peter Laviolette was the coach of Carolina in 05/06 when they won the cup. Ask Justin Williams, he has a ring. Ask Jarret Stoll, Matt Greene, Ethan Moreau how it felt to lose to Carolina.

Hate me, but I hope the Kings get blown out tonight honestly. They could not win a home game in the playoffs last season against SJ. As I said before, how the fuck can you lose a game when you are up 4-0?

Terry Murray wrote a how to book “Bad Hockey Coaching for Dummies” which gives you his deep insight and years of experience on how to lose a 4-0 lead. The book also includes how to shuffle your goalies constantly because you have Obsessive Compulson Disorder (OCD) in the playoffs. How to constantly change your line combonations because you have OCD.

As a bonus, you’ll also receive a second book “How To Speak to your team behind closed doors For Dummies” Terrys expertise on speaking to his players and calling them chokers behind closed doors offers you insight from his many years of coaching experience. This priceless step by step instruction on how to call your players chokers will give you exactly what Terry says to his players. You can use this when your team loses a game in the last 10 seconds of the third period, or a must win game, even when your team is down in a playoff series.
Terry gives you all the tools you’ll need to speak to the media and place the blame on the players. You will know how use the excuse “the players failed to stick to the system.” You will also know how to deflect all the criticism, and blame on the players.

These books are available both in English and French.

We were sitting 4 rows to the right of the SJ bench, Nitty had a clipboard, after the 4th goal, Todd pulled Niemi, put Nittymaki in net.

Ask Terry Murray how to lose a 4-0 lead, he wrote the book!

SJ pulled Niemi, put in Nittymaki after goal #4. Terry Murray just stood there. Did he call a timeout? No! Did he pull Quick? NO!

NHL Live: Deb Placey on the game tonight against San Hose-a
“Even by Terry Murray standards, who LIKES TO CHANGE HIS LINES ALOT, some major changes apparently with the Kings as they look to try to score some goals.
Jarret Stoll is moving off the center, they move Trent Hunter up, he’s going to play on the wing to try to get some of the other top 6 forwards started. He’s still lookin for his 1st goal of the year so some major changes in the lineup for the Kings.”

“EJ: Yeah they’re not happy with the way things have started, yeah they’re not happy with the way things have started.” after talking about Trent Hunter missing an open net “But yeah Terry Murray is going to move things around try ta uhh create a different look for the Man Blows-eh tonight and uh we’ll see if he can do that. This is what happens when expectations, the expectations on the Kings are high. They’ve added some new players so far this year, it’s been up and down so uhh he’s gonna give it a little bit of a different look tonight. I’ll be curious to see how it plays out on home ice.”

Barry Melrose( NHL Network & ESPN Hockey Analyst) has a weekly spot on NHL Live. Here is what Barry said on the firing of the 2 coaches today. “Uh you know its coming ommm ittt you’ve been watching your team ahh it hasn’t been playing well even looking at the point total, uhhh it’s even worse for Bruce, his team is expected to win, and there is one thing worse than coaching a bad team losing, thats coaching a good team and losing. So both things will get you fired uhhh obviously Bruce has seen so much has been expected since he took over 4 years ago uhh arguably there’s as talented a team as in the NHL and they haven’t won so umm y know theres 2 things you can do is tinker with your line up which they did. uhh they made a lot of changes in personal
ahhh but uhh you know the core wasn’t responding, the stars weren’t responding.

You all made me crazy during the off-season, jacking my dick into a frenzy of expectation. Next, Bobby starts laying out the real poop on the Doughty negotiations like he had his ear pinned to the very asshole of Christ. Then the season starts and the instant the Kings lose to Buffalo y’all start to holler for TM to be strung up by his balls.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!

The team is in one of its down spots. And the lot of you are picking over its liver like a pack of famished hyenas. That is depressing . . . DE-FUCKING-PRESSING!!!

We play the Sharks in a coupla hours. How ’bout a little sis-boom-bah? Or maybe some prayer and fasting? Try to spend at least ten ticks of the clock without wiping your ass on the team or Murray or anybody but the OTHER guys.

Hunter on the first line sounds like desperation to me. It’s scary that many hockey experts are mentioning TM and Carlyle getting fired in the same breath. The Ducks suck more than the Kings but we can’t score more than 2 goals a game. If it wasn’t for Anze, Richards and Quick we’d already have a new coach.

(in the back on my mind I hope they lose just so Terry Murray is gone. JT Dutch could be coach for all I care [where is that guy anyways]. Anything is better than Terry Murray.. well, maybe not Andy Murray, but you get the picture)

Exactly right.. have to admit.. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Kings..
but I am slowly starting to conclude it is not going to be the season I thought it
would.. I don’t like/cannot get behind.. Hunter/Moreau/Frazer.. waste of time in
LA and taking away chances for better players.. who.. well not them!
What are we getting from them.. nada..
Ritchie should be playing..
I also think the D pairing are going to be shit.. maybe TM will see the error before the night is thru.. Mikey and Gags.. ok .. get it done.. Brownie.. hit them hard and
get some points baby.. Lokti show them you love being at center!
GO KINGS GO!!!

Best first period they’ve played in awhile. All four lines applying pressure, forechecking well (esp Richardsline) and shooting. Lots of energy and they’re using the body. Niemi is giving up rebounds, need to capitalize. Sixteen shots is good start, need to keep it up and bank a few. Each guy on the 4th line now has more goals than Penner… Should have put one in on the PP, that was a bad call.

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